Singleness blog - Fairy Lights
I’ve written this mini blog series over the past year, sharing an honest glimpse into my experience of singleness. I’ve come to recognise that singleness is a God-given gift and a blessing to the church. At the same time, I’ve wrestled with the pain of an unfulfilled longing for marriage.
What I’ve learned most is that—whether married or single—we are all learning to trust our faithful God with desires and circumstances that are not always easy. And, most importantly, remember that marriage and singleness are both wonderful ways to glorify God.
I hope this offers a helpful insight for you.
With love, Hannah
It’s spring. I look around and realise I haven't lit my candles for a while. It hasn’t been that long since an evening in meant an opportunity to light my candles and snuggle down. It hasn’t been that long since I had my little Christmas tree and fairy lights to brighten my home. I looked forward to cosy evenings in, wrapped up in my blanket, hot chocolate warming my hands, and the comforting glow of twinkling lights.
But today the sun is shining. The days are longer, we spend more time outdoors, and the sun just seems to make everything better. Have you ever noticed that even an untidy park—with weeds, litter, and graffiti—looks better when the sun shines on it? At Christmas, we have fairy lights; at Easter, we don’t bother! We just don’t have the same need for fairy lights when we have what is greater: the sun.
But as great and as wonderful as the sun is, it is suggested in Revelation 21 that in the new creation we won’t have the sun anymore. Trying to imagine this world without the sun is even more mind-boggling than trying to imagine Christmas without fairy lights. It feels as though there’ll be something missing. But there won’t be. We won’t miss the sun, because we will have what is greater: the Son.
“The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.” — Revelation 21:23
The confusion we feel here can help us to understand marriage and singleness. Right now, trying to imagine human life without marriage could feel like trying to imagine Christmas without fairy lights or this world without sunshine. But Jesus teaches us that in eternity, there won’t be any marriage.
“When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.” — Mark 12:25
In eternity, we won’t need marriage in the same way that we have marriage today, because we will have what is greater. There will be one marriage in eternity—but there will only be one. Jesus is the bridegroom, and the church will be His bride. Marriage today is only a reflection of this true and perfect union. Human marriage today is like the fairy lights, and the marriage of Jesus and the church is like the sunshine.
Does knowing this make me not want to get married? No. At the moment, I still hope to get married one day. But knowing this does free me from thinking that I need to get married. It frees me from feeling that if I don’t get married, I will have missed out on something.
The day I see Jesus face to face, see Him on His throne, and bathe in the light of His glory, the experience of being married or single in this life will fall into insignificance compared to the wonder of Jesus. In this life, marriage can glorify God because it points to the union between Jesus and the church. Singleness brings glory to God because it points to the truth that Jesus is greater. Jesus is enough to fulfil and complete each of us.
So when the nights draw in again, and I light my candles or switch on my fairy lights, I’ll remember that the One who is greater is coming — and He is enough.
Photo by Kevin Fitzgerald on Unsplash